It’s a tale of two series in the first round of the LCS Spring Split playoffs. Saturday’s series between Evil Geniuses and FlyQuest is relatively evenly matched. Both teams went 10-8 in the regular season, but Evil Geniuses are a decent favorite after beating FlyQuest in both previous meetings this split. Sunday’s series is considerably more lopsided as the oddsmakers don’t think that 100 Thieves will even take a game from Cloud9.
Cloud9 just finished a dominant 17-1 in the regular season, and it is the odds-on favorites to claim the Spring Split title.
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2020 LCS Spring Split Playoffs: Evil Geniuses vs. FlyQuest
Evil Geniuses -1.5 games (+120)
FlyQuest +1.5 games (-160)
Evil Geniuses have the second-best bottom lane in the region. After a disappointing first season in the LCS with 100 Thieves in 2019, former world champion Bang has shined for Evil Geniuses this spring. Bang has a 6.6 KDA, and he and Zeyzal have been a force to be reckoned with as they have formed a bond in the bottom lane. Unlike other supports, Zeyzal has really shined on Tahm Kench despite his recent nerfs with a 17.0 KDA.
Bang and Zeyzal certainly have an advantage over WildTurtle and Ignar. A lot has been made of WildTurtle’s shortcomings in the postseason, and he is certainly trending in the wrong direction in recent weeks. He has only played well on Xayah and Miss Fortune, and his troubles on Aphelios (1.8 KDA in five games) are very problematic considering the prevalence of the champion on every patch since the start of the spring.
There is reason to be optimistic if you’re a FlyQuest fan, though. Evil Geniuses aren’t that strong outside of the bottom lane. Jiizuke has been a nice addition in the mid lane, but he hasn’t been overpowering, and the play in the top lane and jungle hasn’t been anything special. If FlyQuest can figure out their own top-lane issues, they can potentially punish Kumo.
The real path to victory for FlyQuest lies in the mid lane. PowerOfEvil is one of the three best mid-laners in North America, and his play has been paramount to their success this split. PoE has been strong on Syndra, Rumble, Viktor, and Orianna, and he has the skill to punish Jiizuke when the EG mid laner is a little too overaggressive.
2020 LCS Spring Split Playoffs: Cloud9 vs. 100 Thieves
Cloud9 -2.5 games (-135)
100 Thieves +2.5 games (+105)
The Thieves drew the short end of the stick by having to play Cloud9 in the first round of the playoffs. C9 has been the most impressive team in North America by a substantial margin this season, and all five of its players should be named to the All-Star team.
Zven and Vulcan have been the best bottom lane in the region by a wide margin. Zven leads everyone in North America with a 14.6 KDA, and he has looked strong on every champion he has played. Vulcan has been the perfect complement for him at support, and his 9.4 KDA is the second-highest number in NA.
Nisqy and Licorice are arguably the best at their positions in the region, too. Nisqy had some big shoes to fill when he replaced Jensen in 2019, but he has developed into an excellent mid-laner, and his ability to play Veigar and Morgana gives C9 some real flexibility. The only thing to nitpick is Blaber’s reliance on Gragas and Lee Sin in the jungle, as he played one of those champions in 14 of C9’s 18 games.
We’ve seen some real growth in 100 Thieves over the course of the season, particularly with Ryoma. The former OPL mid laner has shown his skills transition to the next level with his play over the last month-plus, and his growth has given the Thieves another win condition aside from Ssumday in the top lane.
100 Thieves are good enough to win a game from Cloud9, but it’s difficult to see them winning more than that against one of the best teams in the history of the LCS.